This term for our inquiry work we studied about creepy crawlies in our environment. Some of us studied the WETA and wrote reports about this amazing insect. One afternoon we had a lot of fun climbing trees in the school grounds to look in the cracks and crevices to see if we could find any tree wetas. It was very exciting to find two cavities where we saw tree wetas living. We have begun presenting our work on blendspace and the challenge is to use as many different apps as we can to display our work. We will finish these blendspace in term 3.
Term 3
Our next project are the WETA MOTELS - we will design these later in the term and then collect the materials to build them. We will need to collect a variety of pieces of hollowed out stalks of things like flax flowers, bamboo etc. If we decide to go for a variety of motels - eg stacked ones or ones that sit in the trees and can be opened - we have identified some trees that have weta in them already - so it would be good to try placing the motels in places where success in having occupants is likely.
Mr Davey or Ron may have to be involved if we design ones that go in the trees as they would need to be hinged and drilled - or have some way of opening. The entrance hole has to be just big enough for the weta to climb in but small enough to prevent mice getting in to eat the weta.
Term 4
We decided that as Room 15 and 16 have built large bug hotels down the back of the field that we should just make the smaller weta hotels that hang or sit in a tree. We have asked Mr Davies to keep scraps of untreated timber for us and have completed our designs. Next we have to arrange the time and tools for Ron or Mr Davies to assist us in construction. There is a very good video clip which shows the process - step by step (refer to the link below).
One of the ideas we had was that we could camouflage the hotel to make it less visible. A couple of ideas we had was choosing wood that still had bark around it or painting/dyeing the wood. The only problem is that (as several children pointed out) the paints would have chemicals in them - so...perhaps we need to investigate natural dyes made from other things eg the colour from boiled onion skins. Would the school dyes being non-toxic ? Perhaps we could use these
We have had a person from the Auckland City Council to talk to Room 24. We trialled having a bokashi bin (belonging to Miss Cook's) in our classroom but we didn't have enough scraps!! Miss Cook suggested that the staffroom is really the only place a bokashi bin would work -as we need a reasonable volume and a variety of scraps that cant be put into the compost bin or worm farm. . So...we are planning to approach Huckleberry manager (via the children) to see if they would donate a BIN. Miss Cook thought we might be cheeky and try for a HUNGRY BIN - however when she went into Huckleberry Farms the other day she saw the price was well over $100 so she doesn’t think that would be likely!!. When we get the bin we plan to make an short movie to explain how to use it for the staff and organise a monitor to place CLICK CLACK container on the bench before break 1 and empty into Bokashi Bin after break 2.
Term 3
We wrote an email to the manager of Huckleberry Farms asking if they would consider donating a bokashi bucket to the school - refer below. End of Term 3 - great news we now have a Bokashi bucket for the school thanks to Huckleberry Farms manager Mr Giles Young.
Starship appeal (this is an ongoing project started in by Room 24 in 2013)
The appeal envelopes came out in term 2 so we started our campaign with a video clip on ROPS Connect and as a result we received 47 phones which were mailed into Starship at the end of term 2. In week one Term 3 did another video on ROPS CONNECT and in week 3 we put another plug in the newsletter. We were heading well along towards our target of 250 phones and then noticed a drop in the tally from Starship this time. Apparently there were about 17 phones from the first batch at the end of last year that were Telco display phones (dummy phones) so they deducted points and now our total points so far are 172 (we need 250 in order to receive an IPAD).
While obviously the main focus is raising funds for STARSHIP AIR AMBULANCE and keeping these phones out of the environment, an IPAD would be a bonus and is a motivating target for our class.
Term 4
Yeah! Our latest tally of phones collected is 220 - so... only 30 to go and we win an IPAD!
Updated figures - we now have been given 18 more phones so now need only 12 !!!
Weta Motels
Term 2
This term for our inquiry work we studied about creepy crawlies in our environment. Some of us studied the WETA and wrote reports about this amazing insect. One afternoon we had a lot of fun climbing trees in the school grounds to look in the cracks and crevices to see if we could find any tree wetas. It was very exciting to find two cavities where we saw tree wetas living. We have begun presenting our work on blendspace and the challenge is to use as many different apps as we can to display our work. We will finish these blendspace in term 3.
Term 3
Our next project are the WETA MOTELS - we will design these later in the term and then collect the materials to build them. We will need to collect a variety of pieces of hollowed out stalks of things like flax flowers, bamboo etc. If we decide to go for a variety of motels - eg stacked ones or ones that sit in the trees and can be opened - we have identified some trees that have weta in them already - so it would be good to try placing the motels in places where success in having occupants is likely.
Mr Davey or Ron may have to be involved if we design ones that go in the trees as they would need to be hinged and drilled - or have some way of opening. The entrance hole has to be just big enough for the weta to climb in but small enough to prevent mice getting in to eat the weta.
Term 4
We decided that as Room 15 and 16 have built large bug hotels down the back of the field that we should just make the smaller weta hotels that hang or sit in a tree. We have asked Mr Davies to keep scraps of untreated timber for us and have completed our designs. Next we have to arrange the time and tools for Ron or Mr Davies to assist us in construction. There is a very good video clip which shows the process - step by step (refer to the link below).
One of the ideas we had was that we could camouflage the hotel to make it less visible. A couple of ideas we had was choosing wood that still had bark around it or painting/dyeing the wood. The only problem is that (as several children pointed out) the paints would have chemicals in them - so...perhaps we need to investigate natural dyes made from other things eg the colour from boiled onion skins. Would the school dyes being non-toxic ? Perhaps we could use these
VIDEOLINKS...
http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/conservation-activities/exploring-nature-with-children-booklet/in-your-own-backyard/build-a-weta-motel/
BLENDSPACE ... REPORT...refer Brooklyn's file
Bokashi bin
Term 2
We have had a person from the Auckland City Council to talk to Room 24. We trialled having a bokashi bin (belonging to Miss Cook's) in our classroom but we didn't have enough scraps!! Miss Cook suggested that the staffroom is really the only place a bokashi bin would work -as we need a reasonable volume and a variety of scraps that cant be put into the compost bin or worm farm. . So...we are planning to approach Huckleberry manager (via the children) to see if they would donate a BIN. Miss Cook thought we might be cheeky and try for a HUNGRY BIN - however when she went into Huckleberry Farms the other day she saw the price was well over $100 so she doesn’t think that would be likely!!. When we get the bin we plan to make an short movie to explain how to use it for the staff and organise a monitor to place CLICK CLACK container on the bench before break 1 and empty into Bokashi Bin after break 2.
Term 3
We wrote an email to the manager of Huckleberry Farms asking if they would consider donating a bokashi bucket to the school - refer below. End of Term 3 - great news we now have a Bokashi bucket for the school thanks to Huckleberry Farms manager Mr Giles Young.
Starship appeal (this is an ongoing project started in by Room 24 in 2013)
The appeal envelopes came out in term 2 so we started our campaign with a video clip on ROPS Connect and as a result we received 47 phones which were mailed into Starship at the end of term 2. In week one Term 3 did another video on ROPS CONNECT and in week 3 we put another plug in the newsletter. We were heading well along towards our target of 250 phones and then noticed a drop in the tally from Starship this time. Apparently there were about 17 phones from the first batch at the end of last year that were Telco display phones (dummy phones) so they deducted points and now our total points so far are 172 (we need 250 in order to receive an IPAD).
While obviously the main focus is raising funds for STARSHIP AIR AMBULANCE and keeping these phones out of the environment, an IPAD would be a bonus and is a motivating target for our class.
Term 4
Yeah! Our latest tally of phones collected is 220 - so... only 30 to go and we win an IPAD!
Updated figures - we now have been given 18 more phones so now need only 12 !!!
Link to ROPS CONNECT ...